This is a gorgeously refreshing drink for a summer’s day
– the hint of ginger really gives it a bit of zip and zing. Serve with plenty
of ice.
Ingredients
3 lemons
1 small handful of fresh mint
1 tbsp fresh ginger
120g sugar
1l of sparkling water
Ice, to serve
Makes about 6
glasses
To start, you need to make a concentrated syrup, which
you’ll mix with sparkling water a bit later on. Zest one of the lemons, and
then juice it and one other, so that you have one whole lemon left for later.
Finely chop the fresh mint and the ginger and mix with the lemon juice in a
jug, then add the sugar and about 100ml hot water. Stir vigorously until the
sugar has dissolved, using the back of the spoon to crush the mint and ginger against
the side of the jug, to release the flavours. Once the sugar has completely
dissolved, set the syrup aside for about an hour – don’t put it in the fridge,
just cover it and leave it on the side.
When you’re ready to mix the syrup with the sparkling water,
carefully strain it through a fine sieve – by now the flavours of the mint and
ginger should have spread through the lemon mixture. Mix with about a litre of
sparkling water, add plenty of ice, and decorate with the third lemon, thinly
sliced, and a few fresh mint leaves.
